234 



SOILS AND PLANT LIFE 



exhausts the soil, and when sown with clovers, tends to 

 crowd them out. Moreover, it tends to form too dense a 



sod even when sown alone, be- 

 coming "sod bound," and this 

 eventually reduces the yield. 

 And furthermore, it is not an 

 easy grass to eradicate when we 

 wish to put the land into some 

 other crop. 



Bermuda Grass 



174. The Range and Char- 

 acter of Bermuda Grass. — In 



the southern part of the United 

 States where Kentucky blue 

 grass does not thrive, Bermuda 

 grass is extensively grown. It 

 withstands the hottest weather, 

 endures drouth, and is valuable 

 for both pastures and meadows. 

 Moreover, it is the principal 

 lawn grass of the South. 



While this grass maybe grown 

 from the seed, the latter is ex- 

 pensive and the results uncer- 

 tain. Hence the usual method 

 is to scatter or to set out in rows pieces of fresh sod on 

 the prepared soil and to cover them lightly with earth. 



175. Advantages and Disadvantages of Bermuda 

 Grass. — Bermuda grass has many advantages for the 

 southern farmer, among them being those given below: 



(a) It succeeds in sections where the summers are very 

 hot and often dry as in Oklahoma and Texas. 



Fig. 



100. — Panicle of brome 



grass. 



